


delicious

by roosebolton



Category: Andrew Hozier-Byrne (Musician)
Genre: Anal Sex, Cuddling, Hair Washing, Hotel Sex, M/M, Manly Tears, Oral Sex, RPF, Rimming, Showers, also: the return of andy's 50 alarms, because I am a one trick pony, delicious hotel-provided baked goods, mild anxiety at potentially being found out, with sincere apologies to ms sarah o
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-02 02:18:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21153962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roosebolton/pseuds/roosebolton
Summary: Various tasty things shared in a hotel room.





	1. Chapter 1

After a while, they stopped sleeping in separate rooms, sneaking around behind everyone else's back. No one thought to question it, since they were already close friends, and less hotel rooms at each stop meant less money to be spent, so there were no complaints from the tour management, either.

There were nights that they still slept in separate beds, exhausted after the show and the after-show shenanigans, too tired to do anything but crash into the pillows.

But that night...

The hotel was a tall one, and their room was near the top. They declined bell service, pushing the luggage cart into the elevator themselves, the two of them fitting neatly inside next to it in the small, modern elevator. When they got to their room, Andrew opened the door with his keycard, holding it while Alex pushed the cart in. He could see some of the other band members down the hall - Rachel and Kristen had opted for a bellhop's assistance. He waved to Rachel briefly before going inside and letting the door close behind him.

They moved their luggage off the cart, almost mechanically after years of the same thing night after night. One suitcase on the couch, one suitcase on the floor, toiletries in the bathroom, jackets hung in the closet. Alex left the room to return the cart, and Andrew propped the door open with the secondary lock so he would have no trouble getting back in the room.

Alex returned with both hands full, pushing the door open with his knee. With difficulty he managed to move the lock back so that the door would shut properly. In one hand he held what appeared to be two cups of coffee, and in the other he had some type of muffin that he'd taken a few bites from. He took another bite, munching thoughtfully, as he walked over to Andrew, who was sitting on one of the beds.

He swallowed, then held out the muffin to Andrew. "Banana nut. Want some?"

Andrew politely broke a piece off and ate it. "What else you got there, coffee? This late?"

"Mmhmm. Muffin is from the lobby, they've loads of things sitting out for guests. Coffee is from the hotel bar."

"Coffee spiked with what?"

Alex laughed. "Splash of whiskey. You know me too well. Want some?" He held the cups out to Andrew, who took one, sipping gingerly from it since he couldn't tell how hot it was from the outside.

"Ehm, more than a splash, I'd say. Tastes nice, though."

"Mmhmm." Alex took a sip of his, then set it on the table between the two beds. Andrew set his down next to it.

"So."

"So. So what?"

Andrew looked up at Alex, still standing, from his seat on the bed. "Put down the muffin, maybe."

Alex took another bite, then set it down next to his coffee. "Okay...?" He made a move to sit down, but Andrew stopped him.

"No, keep standing, I, ehm..." Andrew bit his lip. Slowly and awkwardly, he sank to the floor, kneeling in front of Alex. "Been thinking about you and ah, like this..." He reached over to Alex's waist, unbuckling his belt, then unbuttoned Alex's black jeans, unzipping his fly. Alex looked down at him, amused, making no move to stop him.

"Pictured you like this, I mean. Doing this... like this." Andrew reached his long fingers into Alex's boxers and drew out his cock, still mostly soft. "If you don't mind."

"Hey, no complaints here, man."

Andrew lowered his head, taking Alex fully into his mouth, making gentle motions with his lips and tongue only meant to arouse, not yet trying to push him further. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Alex in his mouth, on his tongue, his warmth, and his growing hardness. Andrew sighed with pleasure.

"Sure you don't want me to take my trousers off or anything?"

"Mmhmm," said Andrew, his mouth full.

The harder Alex grew in his mouth, the harder Andrew worked to please him, his head bobbing faster, his hands grasping at Alex's legs to steady himself.

When Alex came, it caught them both by surprise, Alex swearing under his breath and pushing perhaps a bit too deeply into Andrew's hungry, wanton mouth, though Andrew held him there with his lips until he was done.

As he pulled away from Alex, he appeared suddenly shy, grinning bashfully as he swallowed audibly.

Alex took a deep breath and finally sat down on the bed, tucking himself back into his trousers. "So. For what did I deserve _ that _ honour?"

Andrew took a sip of the whiskey and coffee. "I dunno. Just couldn't stop thinking about ... the taste of you on my tongue."

Alex licked his lips, an unconscious reaction. “Is that so?”

Andrew picked himself up off the floor, sitting on the bed opposite Alex. “Mmhmm.” He took a piece of the muffin and ate it, washing it down with a sip of his coffee. 

“Everything you hoped for?” Alex picked up what was left of the muffin, offering it to Andrew first before finishing it, taking a drink of his own coffee.

Andrew nodded, smiling, his cheeks only a little pink. He leaned back against the pillows, reaching for the remote and turning on the television. 

“Sure you don’t want me to, ah…” Alex glanced at the very visible tent in Andrew’s trousers.

“Mmhmm. Maybe later.” He shifted his position, clearly uncomfortable.

Alex side-eyed him, climbing out of his bed to crawl onto the other side of Andrew’s. He pressed himself close, hovering one hand over Andrew’s clothed erection, almost touching, but not quite. “You _ sure? _”

Andrew made a low noise, aching, deep in his throat.

Alex rested his hand there, lightly, and grinned when Andrew raised his hips to meet it, his eyes closed, almost whimpering. He left his hand in place, unmoving, to see how Andrew would react.

“... Oh, for fuck’s sake, Alex, God, just…”

“Hmm? Just what?”

Andrew whined, reaching one hand out to press Alex’s hand against his cock, rolling his hips. “... Please.”

“Please what? I thought you didn’t want me to, that it could wait until later.” He squeezed a little. Andrew squirmed.

“God, Alex, _ please--” _

“I can go back to the other bed if you’d like.”

Andrew groaned. “Alex, _ please _ suck my _ cock, _ I cannot believe--”

Laughing, Alex started unfastening Andrew’s trousers. “You only needed to _ ask._”


	2. Chapter 2

Alex woke up in the middle of the night, unsure what time it was, but no light peeked in through the curtains. He'd fallen asleep in Andrew's bed without meaning to, both of them fuzzy with their orgasms' afterglow and a hint of whiskey. Lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, he felt a shift in the bed next to him.

"You awake?" said Alex, as quietly as he could.

"Mm."

Andrew rolled over to face him, gently resting one hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" he said, groggily.

"Yeah." He looked over at Andrew, his curls messy and his eyes still half shut. "You?"

"Mmhmm." He scooted closer to Alex, draping his arm over him. "This okay?"

"'Course."

Andrew smiled, closing his eyes, and rested his head on the pillow next to Alex's.

"Hey, question. If you're not too sleepy."

"Yeah?"

"You know, earlier... why'd you want to wait? You sucked me off, and then acted like you didn't want anything, even though it was, ah, very obvious how turned on you were."

Alex could practically feel the heat radiating from Andrew's face, even in the dark.

"I dunno, ehm, I just... sometimes it's nice to put it off like that. To feel that... you know, want. Until I can't stand it anymore." He cleared his throat. "It kinda feels good. I guess."

"Mmm, I see. You know what?"

"What?"

"You should do that more, it's actually, like, _ mindblowingly _ fucking hot to see you like that. Needy. Begging to be touched."

Andrew buried his face in the pillow, making a noise between a laugh and a choking sound. "Thanks, I guess," he said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"I think it's because, I mean, nobody else gets to see you like that. Private thrill, you know? Like a secret. Well, I mean, besides the secret that we're, you know, sleeping together at all."

"Mmhmm." Andrew took a deep breath, removing his face from the pillow. "Yeah, so... ehm, anything else you want to tell me?"

"Oh, mainly that I'm going to have a lot of fun teasing you until you can't stand it anymore. Now that I know you're _ into _ it." Alex grinned, his dimple showing.

Andrew closed his eyes, groaning. "I should have expected that."

"Why is that?"

"You're _ remarkably _ good at knowing and exploiting my weak points. Like, artistically, but also in general," Andrew said, quietly. "Fucker."

"Can't help it, mate. S'what happens when you've been together - as friends or _ otherwise _ \- as long as we have. You could probably exploit my weak points, too. If I had any. Which I don't." He snickered.

"I don't know about _ that. _"

"Try me."

"You sure?"

"Do your worst."

"The first time I fucked you, you got so emotional that you _ cried_."

"...Did not."

"Did so. You were sobbing into your pillow."

"Tears of joy, my man."

"Care to have another go? Bet I can make it happen again."

"...You're on."

Andrew stared at Alex a moment and considered his options. "All right. ...Where'd we pack the... you know."

"...Lube?"

"That."

"You want to know where we packed the _ personal lubricant?_"

"God _ dammit_, Alex."

Alex snickered. "It's in the toiletries bag with the shaving cream."

"Go get it. I'll be hunting for ages."

Alex rolled out of bed, strolled into the toilet and returned in less than a minute, tossing the bottle of lube onto the bed next to Andrew. "Told you."

"Good. Take off your trousers and..." he waved a hand at Alex's lower half, "the rest of that."

"Sure." Alex unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his jeans - he'd fallen asleep with his clothes on - shimmying out of them and his boxers at the same time. He left his plain black socks on.

Andrew slipped a hand up the front of Alex's shirt, resting it between his navel and his cock for a moment, feeling his warmth. Alex's mostly-soft cock twitched.

"Turn over. Hands and knees," Andrew said quietly.

Alex complied, rolling over easily, climbing to his hands and knees, his shirt hanging loosely.

Andrew scrambled off the end of the bed, quickly tying his hair back in a loose bun. He repositioned himself behind Alex, one knee on the bed between Alex's legs and the other foot on the floor. Alex looked back at Andrew, picking up the lube from the bed, offering it to him.

"Not yet."

Alex shrugged, tossing it back on the bed. "Hope you're not planning on going in dry, beca--" 

Andrew cut his sentence short by immediately diving in, holding Alex's backside apart and pressing his wet tongue to Alex's entrance. He circled his tongue around, tickling the sensitive nerves there. 

"Wh-- what was I saying..." said Alex, blood rushing immediately to his cock, half hard from the moment Andrew's tongue touched him. 

Andrew hummed softly against him, amused. "Nothing important." 

Alex groaned. "Think you're right." He rested his chest and arms on the bed, tilting his head to the side, arching his back and wiggling a little.

Gripping Alex's thighs, Andrew fluttered his tongue against Alex's entrance, teasing him there, before plunging in deeply as far as he could go, Alex heaving a satisfied sigh. He darted his tongue in and out, not too fast, reaching one hand up to fondle Alex's balls. 

"God, Andy, that tongue of yours is-- it's-- _ obscene _ is what it is--"

Andrew laughed against Alex's backside, removing his tongue for a moment. "I could say the same about _ yours_." He gave him another long lick. "Throws me off every time you do that... _ thing _ you do on stage. Half the time, I get so flustered that I forget the words to my own songs."

Alex laughed. "Why do you think I do it so often?"

Andrew grabbed the lube off the bed, dripping a little down Alex's crack. Alex grunted. "That's cold."

"We'll just have to warm it up then."

Andrew ran his longest finger down Alex's backside, wetting it, then held the tip of it against his entrance. He reached his other hand below, lightly gripping Alex's erect cock at the base. Pressing his finger in slowly, slowly, impossibly slowly, he stopped when he was barely at the first knuckle, holding steady there. 

Alex exhaled sharply out his nose, trying to stop his body from moving back against Andrew's finger the way it clearly wanted.

Just as slowly, Andrew pressed in to the second knuckle. "I can do this all night, you know."

Alex let out the tiniest whine, enough for Andrew to press his finger all the way inside him, wiggling it just a little. He ran his hand along the length of Alex's cock, lightly, almost a tickle rather than a stroke. Alex shivered.

Turning back towards Andrew as best he could, Alex took a deep breath. "Enough teasing, Andy. Please."

"Please _ what_, Alex?" Andrew replied, a huge grin on his face. He drew his finger nearly out of Alex, then plunged it in again, eliciting a tiny moan from him. 

"It's not enough, I need-- I need--"

Andrew fucked him with his finger a few more times, waiting patiently.

"Fuck's sake, I need something _ bigger _ inside me, by which I mean _ your cock_."

"Oh, I'd be glad to oblige." He pulled his finger out of Alex entirely. "Roll over, though, I think I want you on your back for this, so I can see your face. Easier to read you."

"Mmhmm. Okay." Alex rolled over onto his back, pulling his knees to his chest.

Andrew pulled Alex closer to the end of the bed by his legs, pushing his thighs apart. He pushed his boxers down, nude below the waist, his excitement _ very _ obvious. “Would you rather I be gentle, or…”

“Hey, I told you to do your worst, if you know my _ supposed _ weak points then I guess you’ll know.” Alex gave Andrew his usual smug smile. 

“Suit yourself,” said Andrew, dripping more lube onto Alex’s entrance, then onto his cock, slickening himself with his hand, smiling down at Alex, eyes sparkling. “Just remember I gave you the option.” He lined himself up with Alex’s hole, holding himself there. “Ready?”

Alex nodded warily, his hands flat against the bed, unsure where he should put them. Andrew pushed into him steadily, moving in and out once he’d made a bit of progress, making sure Alex was well and truly slick on the inside before using Alex’s legs as leverage to press all the way in, as deeply as possible. 

Alex’s eyes went wide, briefly, before he closed them, his mouth agape, his shirt already damp with sweat. “Fuck, Andy, just…” 

“That good?”

“_ Yessss… _” Alex hissed, trying to move against Andrew, who had him held in place. “Please, can you... “ He wiggled a little, frustrated. “Move, or something, this is torture.”

“Have you considered that might be the _ idea?_”

“_ God dammit, Andrew, _ I swear to _ God _ I’m going to kick your--”

Andrew laughed, loosening his grip on Alex’s legs, pulling back a bit to slam into him again, harder this time. Alex groaned, tossing his head back. “Yes. Yes. Like that. _ Fuck._”

Working into a steady, rough rhythm, almost relentless, Andrew fucked Alex hard, adjusting their position a few times until Alex’s moans got louder and he knew he’d gotten the angle _ just right. _ Alex clutched at the bedsheets tight with one fist, wrapping the fingers of his other hand around his cock, wasting no time, jacking himself off even faster than Andrew was plunging into him. 

Seeking connection, Andrew reached down to untangle Alex’s hand from the bed, twining their fingers together, holding his hand tightly. Andrew’s firm grip on his leg with his other hand never wavered, nor did his unceasing rhythm, and all of this was enough to make Alex finally come, loudly, shuddering, so hard that he shot far enough to get some on his shirt, even though it was pushed nearly up to his armpits from all the motion. Even as Alex went slack after he was finished, Andrew didn't stop; in fact, he moved rougher, harder into Alex, seeking his own climax, tired and panting. 

Alex wrapped his legs around him, weakly trying to help, and making soft little moans every time Andrew was fully inside him again.

Andrew stopped for a moment, catching his breath, before bending over Alex, reaching down with both hands to tuck them between Alex and the bed, lifting him up a little to wrap his arms around him. He pulled Alex closer before moving inside him again, their faces close enough to kiss, breathlessly, Andrew nibbling at Alex's bottom lip, their beards brushing together. When Andrew tried to pull away, Alex reached up with both hands to pull him back, kissing him roughly, and Andrew came that way, moaning against Alex's mouth, his cock as far inside him as it would go. 

They stayed that way for a moment, sweaty, breathing hard, looking at one another, before Andrew pulled out of Alex, climbing up next to him in the bed. Alex rolled over towards him, tucking his head beneath Andrew's, draping one arm over him in a manner that could only be called _ cuddling. _ Andrew pulled him close, rubbing his back lightly, tugging his shirt down a little. 

Andrew rubbed the side of his face against Alex's temple, a soft comforting gesture. "You okay?"

Alex replied with a non-committal sound against Andrew's shoulder.

"Cold?"

"Mmhmm."

Reaching down to grab the comforter, Andrew pulled it up over the both of them. The sweat of exertion made an already cool room feel even colder, and Alex pulled Andrew closer, needy, when they were under the blanket. He kissed Andrew's shoulder, but didn't move from his chosen spot, his head tucked beneath Andrew's.

"Hiding from me?" said Andrew, lightly poking Alex in the side.

"Uh-uh."

"Hey, c'mon. Did I really make you cry?"

Alex grumbled softly. "No. I dunno. Shut up."

Andrew leaned back a little, tilting Alex's head up by his chin. His eyes were damp with tears, closed tight as if trying not to let them fall. Andrew gently kissed his eyes, then his forehead, tucking Alex's head back against his shoulder. The tears fell, then, and Andrew could feel them dampening his shirt. He hugged Alex tightly.

Alex sighed. "God, I'm sorry, man, I don't know why this _ happens _ it just happens sometimes and I mean, I don't mean to--"

Andrew rubbed his back again, in soft, gentle circles, to reassure him. "Shhh. It's okay. I know you don't mean to. I'm sorry. I'm here, though. It's okay."

Groaning, Alex punched Andrew lightly in the side. "God dammit, Andy, why are you so _ nice?_"

Andrew laughed. "Sorry. Can't help that, either."

"I think you rearranged my internal organs."

"I didn't hear you complaining."

"I'm not complaining now, either, I'm just _ saying._"

"Oh, by the way, what was that you said about weak points?"

"...Shut up."

Alex pulled Andrew close again, making himself comfortable on his side of the bed. They fell asleep that way, covered with a blanket but naked from the waist down, holding each other tightly, their clothes and the bed a mess, and remained that way until the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

They were woken up the next morning by two alarms - both their phones going off within seconds of one another. They had tossed and turned in the night, and though their legs were still tangled together, Andrew was lying diagonally in the bed, one long arm hanging over the side, his head in a cloud of pillows stolen from Alex's side, while Alex was curled up in most of the blankets on the opposite side of the bed. Both their phones were plugged in on the nightstand next to Andrew, and he groaned at how loud they were, handing Alex's phone to him after turning his own alarm off by blindly jabbing his thumb at the screen a few times.

"Make it stop, please," he mumbled to Alex, who turned it off without even opening his eyes, tossing his phone onto the floor.

After a few minutes, Andrew's phone went off a second time. Then a third. A fourth. A fifth. A _ sixth_. Finally Alex rolled over, pulling the pillow from beneath Andrew's head and whacking him with it. 

"You gonna get up, or do we have to wait for all fifty alarms to go off first?"

Andrew groaned. "_Technically, _ it's really just the one, because I keep hitting snooze."

Alex hit him with the pillow again. "C'mon, we gotta pack."

"You went back to sleep, too."

"Hey, this isn't about me. You gonna hop in the shower?"

Andrew yawned. "Yeah, I guess. You? Or you wanna wait?"

"Nah, I'm gonna. Wanna go first, or should I?"

Rubbing his eyes, Andrew turned a little to face Alex. "I don't know if there's time for both of us to take turns. Think we can both fit?"

"I didn't pay attention when I was using the toilet last night. We can try. Not that you fit in a normal sized shower even by yourself, anyway." Alex grinned sleepily.

"Yeah, yeah. Go turn the water on."

Alex rolled out of bed, dragging himself into the bathroom. Andrew heard him turn on the shower, and he sat up in bed, taking a sip from his water glass. 

"Hey," Alex shouted over the running water. He poked his head out of the bathroom door. "You didn't tell me how much of a _ mess _ I made last night. Jaysus."

Andrew grinned, his cheeks a little pink. "Figured you knew, man. Since you were the one who made the mess and all."

"Uh huh." Alex tugged his shirt off over his head, stained from their activities in the middle of the night, and balled it up, tossing it at Andrew's head. "Your fault, though. Laundry bag. Please."

Andrew laughed, shaking his head, and went to their luggage, pulling the plastic laundry bag from the closet and stuffing Alex's shirt in it, along with the other errant dirty laundry strewn about the floor. He took his own shirt off, shoving that in the bag, too, before going in the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

They stood there in the bathroom together, bare feet on the cold tile floor, while they waited for the water to heat, their arms wrapped around themselves to keep warm rather than for modesty’s sake. 

“Check the water?”

Alex stuck one hand in the shower, testing it. “Nope, still too cold. Could’ve told you that, though, there’s no steam coming out the top.”

“You like it that hot?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Might have to think about compromising then, I’m not keen on being boiled alive.”

“Well, I’m already freezing, so…”

“That’s okay, you’ll be fine. I’ll keep you warm.” Andrew grinned.

“You’re lucky I don’t have anything good to throw at you in here, because that was a _ lame _excuse for a pickup line, man.”

“Is that what it was?”

“Sure seemed like it to me.”

Andrew tiptoed close to Alex, the cold tile beneath his feet starting to become cloudy with steam. He put his arms around him in a tight bear hug, rocking his body with exaggerated motion. “See? Much warmer, right?”

Alex scowled. “Get in the shower, fucker.”

Andrew grinned, squishing Alex in another short hug before reaching a hand into the shower to test the temperature. Satisfied that it actually _ wasn’t _ too hot, he awkwardly climbed in, ducking below the showerhead to wet his hair. Alex climbed in after him, and once Andrew stood up, quickly realised there was a problem.

“Andy.”

“Yeah?” said Andrew, wiping the water from his eyes.

“I think we’re going to need to switch places if I’m gonna get clean too. Unless you want me to just... stand here and stay _ dry. _”

Laughing, Andrew ducked just enough that Alex got sprayed by the showerhead. “Wet enough now?”

Alex shoved him playfully, then grabbed him by the waist with both hands, pivoting him so that they were both under the water, standing as close as possible. Alex sighed as the hot water ran over his head, sluicing down both his body and Andrew’s.

“God, it feels good to be warm. Didn’t realise how _ cold _ I was naked until the hot water hit me.”

“Earlier offer still stands.”

Alex snickered, wrapping his arms around Andrew, the water allowing his skin to glide effortlessly over Andrew’s. The water began to pool where their bodies were pressed together, the drops of water making loud plinking sounds where it hit. When Alex moved away again, the water fell to the floor of the shower with a splash.

Andrew cleared his throat. “Seems like this temperature is agreeable after all.”

“Mmhmm. Seems like,” said Alex, brushing wet hair out of his face with one hand, glancing up at Andrew, whose curls clung to his damp face like vines.

They looked at each other for only a moment before Andrew, with lowered eyelashes, bent his head down to kiss Alex, gently, the water flowing over them both. They breathed in, then out, with their lips pressed together, and then Alex gently pushed Andrew back. 

"If we don't hurry up, we'll never leave this shower."

Andrew grinned sheepishly. "True. Hand me my shampoo."

Alex looked around until he found it on the corner of the bathtub. "Turn around. I'll do it."

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm."

Andrew ducked under the showerhead again, making sure his hair was nice and wet, then turned around awkwardly to face the wall. Alex squirted some of Andrew's shampoo into his hand, rubbing his palms together lightly to distribute it over both of them, then reached up to gently work it into Andrew's curls, starting by lightly massaging his scalp and working his way down to the ends. "That okay? Did I do it right?"

Andrew laughed. "I'm sure it's fine. It's not rocket science." He waited a moment or two, then stepped under the shower to rinse, playfully pelting Alex with his wet hair. "Your turn."

"I can do it myself."

"Nope, I'm helping you. Where's yours?"

"I just use whatever's in here."

"There's enough in there for you? Those bottles are tiny, man."

"Come _ on, _ Andy. Your hair is nearly twice as long as mine and curly besides. It's fine."

"I'm buying you real shampoo the next time we're in a shop. Turn around."

Alex rolled his eyes, but smiled, turning around as Andrew had. Andrew grabbed the tiny hotel shampoo from the niche in the shower wall, and unceremoniously squeezed the whole thing on the top of Alex's head, snickering. 

"Yeah, I think that'll do. You're right."

He gathered Alex's wet hair up on top of his head as best he could, working the shampoo into it, rubbing the loose strands between his long fingers. "I think it's too much, actually, here..." He nudged Alex beneath the showerhead, letting the water flow through his hair, working all the shampoo out, rinsing him clean.

"I don't know, maybe I didn't do as well as you. Think I need more practice."

Alex turned around, smiling cockily. "Maybe you do." He picked up Andrew's conditioner. "Ready for this one?"

"Yeah, grab the comb too. Do that like you did the shampoo, but comb it through so it's not tangled."

"Aha."

Just as he did with the shampoo, Alex worked the conditioner thoroughly into Andrew's hair, pausing once to run his fingers up from underneath and hold them there, lightly grasping his curls. He grabbed the wide-toothed comb and tried running it through Andrew's hair from the top, only to get it stuck.

"Okay. Give me directions. I don't want to pull your hair." He paused. "Well, not right _ now, _ anyway."

"If you want, you can hold it at the nape of my neck like it's in a ponytail, comb the bottom out first. I'm used to the comb pulling it, though."

"Mm, okay." He did as Andrew had instructed, gently teasing the tangles from Andrew's dark curls. Once he had combed the bottom half, he tried starting from the top again, finding it a little easier, though he did get stuck a few times. He didn't stop combing until he was sure all the tangles were out, and combed a few more times just to be sure. Comb still in hand, he wrapped his arms around Andrew from behind in a gentle hug. "No more tangles. Promise."

Andrew stooped his head under the showerhead again, rolling his head from side to side to make sure the water rinsed the conditioner out completely, then stepped back again, pushing his soaking wet hair out of his face and wiping the water from his eyes.

“All right, man, conditioner time. Promise I won’t use the whole bottle this time.” He grabbed the full bottle from the wall and squirted it into his hand. “Try it facing me this time, maybe.”

Instead of turning around, Alex bowed his head forward, letting his hair droop down, though it didn’t flow as nicely as it would if it were dry. Andrew worked the conditioner into Alex’s straight hair, doing his best to make sure every strand was coated, then impishly worked some into Alex’s beard, too, causing him to jump a little, startled. 

“Was that your plan?”

“Mmhmm. Now rinse.”

He did so, Andrew stepping back into the other side of the shower now that he was done washing his hair, letting Alex stand beneath it fully until his hair was rinsed clean. 

“I think the third little bottle there is some kind of body wash? Grab the washcloth, too.” Andrew pointed.

“Am I not clean enough to ride on the bus for hours? I mean, we don’t have a lot of time, right?”

“Not after last night, I think.”

Alex cleared his throat. “Okay, fine, you got me.” Alex sheepishly handed Andrew the washcloth and body wash, defeated. Andrew squeezed some of the body wash into the washcloth and rubbed it together to create suds. He gingerly started scrubbing Alex's upper chest, unsure where to start. 

"Maybe we should... do this part ourselves," Alex suggested.

"Good idea."

Alex took the cloth from Andrew, soaping up his body, scrubbing a little harder under his arms, a little gentler below his waist. He handed it back to Andrew, who did the same, though he was a little rougher on his skin, scrubbing it until it turned pink in places.

"All right. Turn around." Andrew made a circular gesture with his finger. "I'll get your back."

Shrugging, Alex did so, and Andrew made quick work of him, swatting him on the butt with the cloth when he was done. Alex turned back around, scowling, and turned Andrew's body with one hand to do the same for him. 

"You're lucky we have to leave, man."

"Feel like I'd be luckier if we were staying."

They rinsed the remainder of the soap away, and Andrew stepped out of the shower first, wrapping a too-short towel around his waist, already cold. Alex turned off the water, draping a hand towel over his head, stepping out after Andrew and wrapping a towel around his waist the same way. 

"You might want to go pack, I've got to finish up my hair." Andrew picked up a small bottle of leave-in conditioner to show Alex. "It'll take me a minute."

"Vain of you, innit," Alex said, affectionately.

Andrew's cheeks turned pink. "You _know_ I'm not."

Alex gave him a quick peck on the cheek, his lips hovering near Andrew's ear. "Maybe you should be, handsome lad that you are." 

Alex haphazardly packed his luggage, tossing a few more things into the laundry bag, while Andrew worked his leave-in conditioner into his damp hair. Alex dried his hair roughly with the towel, not bothering to brush it, and Andrew packed away his toiletries, tucking his things away in one of his suitcases.

They'd barely gotten dressed and Andrew was still tugging on a clean pair of jeans when there was a knock at the door.

Andrew looked at Alex, who hesitated before saying "Who is it?" in the general direction of the door.

A woman's voice responded, "Housekeeping!"

Andrew glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "It's not even time yet, we'll be out soon, sorry!"

The woman outside the door laughed. "It's not really Housekeeping. Christ, you lads okay in there?"

Andrew, at least, sighed in relief: it was a familiar voice. He glanced at Alex, who nodded, and he opened the door to let her in.

Sarah stepped into the room, immediately displeased with the state of Andrew and Alex's packing. "We're supposed to be gone already. What on Earth have you two been doing in here?"

"Shower," they said in unison.

"I see that. Hurry up, we can make up time on the road if we go now." She walked a little further into the room, looking around. "Nice view. Mine was facing the wall."

Her eyes lingered perhaps a little too long on the two beds, one of which had _clearly_ not been slept in, but she said nothing, just raised an eyebrow in Andrew's direction. 

"Cold last night, wasn't it?" he said by way of response, and after a few moments of silence, they dropped the subject.

"Get a move on, then, boys. I've got a cart for you outside the door there when you're ready. Just don't take too long." She clapped Andrew lightly on the back, turned from them and left the room, the door shutting soundly behind her.

Alex cleared his throat. "She knows. She has to know."

"If she didn't know before, she certainly seems to have... gotten the idea. God, I didn't know what to say."

"As long as she doesn't tell anyone else, I don't care."

"She won't. I'm sure of it. She's a sound one, Sarah."

Alex sighed. "God, I hope you're right."

"Can't prove anything anyway. Let's not worry about that too much."

"I'll hold the door if you start bringing out the luggage and putting it on the cart. I did it last time."

"Yeah, but it was your idea."

"So's this. C'mon, man, let's go." Alex grinned, pulling the door open and leaning against it. Andrew dragged two of the rolling suitcases out into the hallway and put them onto the luggage cart. Piece by piece, he brought the rest of their bags out and fit them one atop the other like he was playing Tetris, hanging the few smaller bags on the hooks at the top of the cart.

"Make sure you've got everything. You know, all the cords and phone chargers and all that shite. Don't want a repeat of the time half the band left their cords behind and we all had to borrow from Cormac and Rachel."

Alex took a quick glance around. "Nope, pretty sure we got everything." He nudged Andrew further into the hallway and let the door close behind him. "I'll push it for you, though."

"The finest of gentlemen," Andrew said, grinning.

"That's me," said Alex, smiling brightly, pushing the cart to the elevator and pressing the down button. "Need anything on the way out?"

"Now that you mention it, I've got the strangest craving for a banana nut muffin."


End file.
